Before You Erase Your iPhone: 10 Checks for an Accurate Buyback Quote
Before you reset an iPhone you plan to sell, take a few minutes to record its details and check how it works. Model, storage, carrier status, and condition all help determine a buyback quote. Once the phone is erased, some of that information takes longer to retrieve.
This checklist is for sellers preparing an iPhone 13 through iPhone 17, including Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Air models. These are basic observations you can make at home, not a replacement for the buyer’s inspection.
1. Confirm the exact model
Open Settings → General → About and note the Model Name. Include every part of the name: an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max are different devices. Do not identify your phone from the case, screen size, or camera count alone.
Choose the corresponding selling guide: iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17, or iPhone Air. Each guide links to related variants.
2. Record total storage, not available space
Write down the device’s total capacity. The unused space changes as you add or remove apps and photos; it is not the storage option you should select in a quote form. For example, a 256GB phone with 80GB available is still the 256GB model.
3. Check the carrier lock status
In Settings → General → About, look for Carrier Lock. Apple says “No SIM restrictions” indicates an unlocked iPhone. If another status appears or you are unsure, contact your carrier before selecting “unlocked.” A paid-off phone should not automatically be assumed to be unlocked. See Apple’s carrier-unlock guidance.
A carrier lock is different from Activation Lock. FlipaCell does not buy Activation-Locked, lost, or stolen devices. If your phone is financed or loaned, contact us about ownership or payoff documentation before shipping.
4. Inspect the screen with it on and off
With the screen off, examine it under good lighting for scratches, chips, and cracks. With it on, look for lines, dark spots, discoloration, flickering, or areas that do not respond to touch. Try typing across the keyboard and opening an app in different parts of the screen.
Describe what you actually see. “Turns on” and “fully working” are not the same thing, and a working touchscreen can still have damaged glass.
5. Look at the frame, back, and camera glass
Remove the case and inspect the corners, back panel, and camera lenses. Note dents, cracks, deep scratches, or missing pieces separately. If you cannot tell whether a mark is on a protector or the phone itself, ask before choosing a condition grade. Do not describe a device as flawless just because damage is hidden by its case.
6. Try cameras, audio, and everyday controls
Take a test photo with the front and rear cameras and check that they focus. Record a short video with sound and play it back. Try the volume buttons, side button, and Face ID. Also test the Action button or Camera Control if your model has them.
If a feature fails only sometimes, include that detail. “Rear camera sometimes loses focus” is more useful than simply saying the phone works.
7. Note battery health and charging issues
In Settings → Battery, open the battery-health section available on your model. Record the displayed maximum capacity and any service message. Maximum capacity measures battery capacity relative to when it was new; it is different from the current charge percentage. Apple explains battery health here.
Try charging with a known-working cable. Report loose connections, unexpected shutdowns, or other problems you have noticed. Do not guess a battery-health figure if the phone cannot display it, and do not assume one percentage guarantees a particular offer.
8. Disclose repairs and record the condition
Tell the buyer about known screen, battery, camera, or other repairs. Check Settings → General → About for Parts and Service History if available, and report messages shown there. Keep clear photos of the front, back, corners, and any defects for your own records.
Here is an illustrative condition note—not a customer sale: “iPhone 15 Pro, 256GB, carrier locked; light frame scratches; camera and Face ID work; battery service message shown.” Specific notes help avoid misunderstandings. Keep account details and personal notifications out of photos you share.
9. Back up, transfer, then erase
Confirm your important data is backed up and transferred before erasing. Unpair your Apple Watch if applicable, sign out of your Apple Account, and follow the erase prompts. On supported iOS versions, the reset path is Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. When selling an eSIM device, erase its eSIM profile after arranging transfer of your service. Remove a physical SIM if present.
Do not manually delete synced photos or contacts to prepare the phone: that can remove them from iCloud and your other devices. Follow Apple’s current before-you-sell checklist, including the steps for removing Find My and Activation Lock. Menus can vary by iOS version.
10. Review your offer details before shipping
Compare your notes with every answer in the quote form. Confirm the exact model, storage, carrier status, condition, and payment details. If you discover damage after requesting an offer, contact FlipaCell before sending the phone.
FlipaCell provides free prepaid inbound shipping for eligible U.S. sales. Payment follows inspection, with PayPal, Cash App, Venmo, or paper check available. If the received device does not match the submitted details, a revised offer may be made. You may accept or decline it; if you decline, you must provide a prepaid return label. Read the buyback FAQ before shipping.
Ready to check your iPhone’s value?
Use the selling page for your exact model, such as Sell iPhone 15 Pro, Sell iPhone 16 Pro Max, or Sell iPhone 17 Pro Max, then request a current quote. Accurate details make the offer easier to assess and help you decide whether to sell.
